'Youth' Chemical Reverses Muscle Aging in Mice

A laboratory mouse looks over the gloved hand of a technician. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty, File)

(Newser)
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If you have a few unwanted wrinkles, this study may pique your interest: Harvard scientists reversed a part of the aging process in mice with a muscle-rejuvenating chemical the BBC dubs "youth-medication." The chemical, NAD, decreases in cells as the body ages, but when mice were given boosted levels of it, the muscle of 2-year-old mice transformed into that of 6-month-old mice. "In human years, this would be like a 60-year-old converting to a 20-year-old in these specific areas," a researcher tells the Telegraph.

One caveat: Muscle strength didn't improve, though researchers think it could over time. "If started at 40, you would probably have a much nicer window of health aging," says a researcher, "but I would guess that, we have to do clinical trials." They hope to start those in 2015. While some doctors call the find "intriguing and exciting," others were more cautious. It's "a long and tough way to go from these nice mouse experiments to showing real anti-aging effects in humans without side effects," says one. (Read more aging stories.)

This is just the thing the very wealthy need. The ultimate reason and drive to squeeze every penny out of the masses to insure they will have a place in line for immortality. If you work for someone else for a living you do not have a chance in hell for a place in that line. You will be used to the max for the wealthiest well being.

Holly Williams

Dec 21, 2013 3:40 PM CST

That is really interesting. I wonder if this could have potential to help those with disorders like muscular dystrophy?

thegayblade

Dec 21, 2013 1:47 PM CST

Extending the life of humans is fraught with risks to our overall survivability on the planet. We already have more people than we can/will feed. Extending the life of the 1st world countries will place additional strain on the food supply. At some point we have to ask the question that the novel Frankenstein asks: just because we can do something, should we?